


Hiding in Plain View

by autumn_veela



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-07
Updated: 2009-06-07
Packaged: 2017-11-28 10:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/673157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumn_veela/pseuds/autumn_veela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hiding from the world can prevent you seeing what’s right before your eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hiding in Plain View

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a giftfic for [](http://killerangels13.livejournal.com/profile)[**killerangels13**](http://killerangels13.livejournal.com/) at [](http://hd-smoochfest.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://hd-smoochfest.livejournal.com/)**hd_smoochfest**.

Harry stared in disbelief at the poster on the function room door.

“ _Speed_ dating? This is the best that you, one of my closest friends, and Hermione, one of the smartest witches who ever lived, can come up with? You‘ve got to be kidding.”

Neville grabbed Harry by the shoulders and turned to face him. “It’ll be fun, Harry. No one knows it’s us, and you might actually meet someone. Just deal with it, okay?”

Harry spotted the desperation in Neville’s eyes. He knew he was being difficult, and that he should be grateful to Neville and Hermione for their help, but speed dating was just so… tacky.

Harry gritted his teeth and nodded. Hermione had provided both of them with Glamours, after all, so nobody would recognize them. They were a new kind that Hermione had been developing at work, and she swore they should last at least twelve hours.

Neville wasted no time in pulling Harry inside and over to the sign-in table. The wizard behind the table was older but very suave and round, clad in a grey silk suit that did nothing for his figure. He clasped his hands together at the sight of them and Harry flinched, expecting the eyes to flick to the scar on his forehead and the face to colour pink, before he remembered that they were disguised.

“Aaah. Our last to arrive. Welcome, gentlemen! My name's Walter, and I'‘ll be your host for tonight. Now-” he glanced down at a sheet of parchment. “Which of you is Jonathon?”

Harry glanced at Neville questioningly, only to see Neville reach out a hand to take the offered name tag.

Walter handed Harry his own tag and he nearly died of embarrassment when he saw the name on it. “ _Trevor_?! Really Neville, what in Merlin’s name-?”

“Shhh.” Neville hissed. “It was all I could think of at the time. Sorry.”

“So why couldn’t _you_ be Trevor?”

“That would be a bit obvious, don’t you think? Anyone from school could be here, and I don’t look that much different. Might jog their memories. Just put it on, Har - Trevor.”

Harry tried very hard not to hit Neville over the head as he pinned the tag to his shirt. Walking over to the group of men milling around the drinks table, Harry began to notice them for the first time. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realised he didn’t know anyone, although his eyes did settle on a tall man with dark blond hair. He was standing by himself, drinking delicately from a champagne flute, and seemingly doing his best to ignore everybody else. Harry sympathised with him whole-heartedly.

Neville pulled Harry to the side and grabbed them both a glass of wine from the table.

“Oh good,” said Harry. “Dutch courage.”

“Too right. I have a good feeling about tonight. There are some really nice-looking blokes here.”

“Yeah. But what happens if I actually _like_ one of them? What’ll I do, just turn up without the Glamour one day and say ‘Surprise! Sorry I’m not the person you think I am, but we’re still on, right?’ I don’t think that’ll go down too well.”

“Give people credit, Harry. If they’re worth the effort, then they’ll understand why you’ve had to do it.”

Harry snorted and took a big gulp of wine. Voldemort really had a lot to answer for.

As the blond hurriedly finish his sparkling wine and reach for another one, Walter’s voice boomed over the awkwardly muttering crowd.

“Right then, gentlemen!” Walter boomed, his voice magnified by the Sonorus Charm. “Are we ready to make some matches?”

~ ~ ~

  
Forty-five minutes later and Harry was gladly through almost half the men in the room. Some of them were nice enough, but none of them were particularly attractive to Harry. They all seemed to be interested in him though, particularly Richard with the bad teeth and Paul, who happened to be an “avid Harry Potter fan”. He kept an eye on the blond and his heart began to beat faster when he saw him gradually drawing closer. Finally, the man was sitting in front of him and looking him over.

“Daniel,” he said, holding out a manicured hand. Harry could smell his spicy cologne, and it was a scent that shot straight to his groin.

Harry couldn’t help but smile. “Er, Trevor.”

The blond raised an eyebrow slightly. “So, how come I’ve never come across you before? There aren’t that many attractive men in the Wizarding World.”

Harry faltered. He hadn’t really had time to come up with a back story, and he was startled by the fact that a man like Daniel found him attractive. “I - I don’t know. How come I’ve never come across you before?”

“Well, I went to Beauxbatons and have spent much of my adult life in France. But my family’s from England, originally. I just thought I’d been to enough of these bloody things to have met everyone.”

Daniel’s admission that this wasn’t his first time speed-dating broke the ice, and they were soon chatting easily. Harry explained that he worked for the Ministry, but tried to keep it as vague as possible. Daniel told Harry of his work as a private tutor for Muggle-born children, and they were about to get on to non-work related pastimes when they were rudely interrupted.

“Time’s up!”

Both men groaned simultaneously.

“Well,” said Harry, “it was nice to meet you.”

To Harry’s surprise, Daniel reached out and clasped Harry’s hand. Light green eyes settled on his, and Daniel smiled that dazzling smile.

“See you around, Trevor.”

~ ~ ~

  
A low hum settled over the swish Muggle bar that Daniel had chosen for their second real date. It wasn’t somewhere Harry would’ve chosen by himself, but once there, he found he really enjoyed the atmosphere. This, however, paled in comparison to the excellent company.

Harry found Daniel so attractive that he didn’t know where to look. He was torn between the clear eyes, the spine-tingling smile and those slender fingers wrapped around the stem of a martini glass. But it was what Daniel was saying that really hooked him. The man was smart, funny and hadn’t once mentioned Harry Potter. Bonus points all round, thought Harry.

“…I actually really like to cook. I grew up with house-elves, but I love potions and cooking is really not much different. It’s the sense of achievement as well, I think. When you go your whole life without making your own food, you really appreciate being able to provide for yourself. Did you have house-elves growing up?”

Harry tried not to wince. He had been avoiding the topic of his childhood, but he knew it would have to come up eventually.

“Nah, I grew up with Muggles. I do have a house-elf now, but he’s old and a bit senile. I don’t make him do much.”

Daniel smiled and reached over to take Harry’s hand. Harry tried to still his trembling, but he was sure Daniel would have noticed.

“Trevor,” Daniel said, eyes resting on Harry’s. “I’m having a really good night.”

Harry’s heart began to race and he felt a bit faint. “So am I,” he managed to mumble.

“I - I know this is a bit fast, but - would you like to come back to my place… for coffee?”

Harry felt his mouth drop open and his cheeks flush. “Yes,” he whispered.

Daniel smiled again. “Fantastic.”

~ ~ ~

  
Daniel’s flat was gorgeous, all polished stone floors and white walls, with plenty of artfully placed lamps and rugs. It wasn’t how Harry would have decorated his own place, but he could certainly appreciate the effect. Daniel turned on the state-of-the-art coffee machine, then turned to Harry. “You haven’t told me about your school days. Did you go to Hogwarts?”

“Yeah,” replied Harry. “Gryffindor.”

He kicked himself as soon as he’d said it. It wouldn’t do any good to give too much of himself away, but he was finding it hard to hide things from Daniel. He was so open and sure about himself that it was easy to feel comfortable around him.

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “You’re twenty-seven, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I have a cousin who would‘ve been in school with you, except he was a Slytherin. I thought I knew everyone else he went to school with.”

Harry faltered for a moment. “Um, I was pretty quiet. Tried to be invisible.”

“Hmmm.”

The coffee machine began pouring dark brown liquid into two white mugs and a hiss of steam rose from it. Daniel turned to Harry with a frown.

“Were you in the war, then?”

Harry closed his eyes briefly. He should really have spent more time preparing a back-story, but he had been so excited about seeing Daniel that it hadn’t really seemed important at the time.

“Kind of. Not really involved, but I was there.”

Daniel carried the two cups to the kitchen table and invited Harry to sit down. He did, hoping that Daniel would change the subject.

“I lost a lot of family in the war.”

Harry nodded, avoiding meeting Daniel’s eyes. “So did I.”

Daniel’s hand reached for his again, and Harry let him take it. He wished, now, that he could tell Daniel everything. That he could explain the loss of his parents and Sirius and Fred. He had a feeling that Daniel would understand.

“And to think we were all saved by the wonderful Harry Potter.”

Harry shut his eyes tightly this time and tried to avoid groaning out loud.

“You must know him, then, being a Gryffindor.”

Harry nodded silently. He knew this was too good to be true.

“He was my first crush, you know. When I visited my cousin, we’d do anything we could to spy on him. We both had it bad. Potter used to stay with friends in the summer holidays and we’d get my uncle to Apparate us to the woods outside their house. We told him we were practicing dueling and stealth.” Daniel frowned for a moment, then slowly broke into a grin. “But we weren’t the only ones, I suppose. Everyone had a crush on Harry Potter, even if they didn’t admit it.”

Harry felt his face redden and he resisted the urge to pull his hand away from Daniel’s. He tried desperately to think of something to say.

“Who’s your cousin?”

Daniel winced. “Promise you won’t hate me, being a Gryffindor and all?”

Harry frowned. “I promise.” He took a sip of his coffee, just for something to do with his hands.

“Draco Malfoy.”

Harry felt the hot coffee slide down his throat just as he opened his mouth to gasp, and suddenly he was choking. He was bent over, coughing madly and trying to clear his airway, when Daniel appeared beside him. He rubbed Harry’s back as he coughed, and once Harry could breathe again, Daniel came around to kneel in front of him.

“Sorry,” he said. “The name has that effect on a lot of people.”

Harry tried to smile through his red face and blurry eyes.

“No, it’s okay. It was my fault. I just wasn’t expecting it. How - how is Draco, anyway? I haven’t seen him in years.”

Daniel cocked his head to the side. “He’s fine. And he’s not that bad a person, you know. He may have made a lot of stupid choices in the past, but he tries hard to make up for it now.”

Harry nodded. “I know. Ever since… since after the war, when we all went back to Hogwarts for our final year, I could tell he’d changed. In fact-” Harry began to chuckle with the absurdity of the secret he was about to tell. “- he was my first big crush.”

Daniel looked confused for a moment, and then a grin began to form on his face.

“Really? How interesting. I hope you’ve gotten over him now, though, because I really, really want to kiss you.”

Harry’s eyes flew to Daniel’s and the sincerity he saw in them made his brain melt. He felt his lips part, and he nodded slightly.

As Daniel drew close to him, Harry caught the heady scent of coffee mixed with the masculinity of an expensive cologne. Daniel’s soft lips ghosted over his and he groaned out loud this time.

Daniel pulled away slightly and reached up to cup Harry’s face.

“You’re beautiful, Trevor.”

Harry was sure his heart stopped beating altogether, as those gorgeous lips pressed against his, and a hand came up to nestle in his hair. Daniel’s tongue slipped into his mouth, and Harry felt the world spin around him as he lost himself in the perfection of the moment. The kiss grew more heated and passionate, and Harry let his hand wander to Daniel’s back. Daniel slowly broke away and Harry felt a surge of arousal as wide green eyes stared up at him.

Then, all of a sudden, Daniel’s face fell and confusion flashed across his eyes. He paused briefly on the spot, before getting quickly to his feet and stepping backwards, mouth open in horror rather than lust.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, panic creeping into his voice.

Daniel stared for a moment.

“Who are you?” he whispered. The wounded sound of his voice cut through Harry like a knife.

“What -- what do you mean?”

“You’re changing, _Trevor_.”

In that moment, Harry realised that his Glamour must be wearing off. _Bloody Hermione_ , he thought savagely, _she chooses_ now _to be wrong for the first time in her life!_

“Daniel, look, I can explain.”

Daniel gasped as he recognised the face in front of him.

“You’re Harry Potter!”

“Shit! Yeah, I am. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to find out this way.”

Tears appeared in Daniel’s eyes and he crossed his arms protectively over his chest. He looked like a wounded animal and Harry felt his heart break at the sight.

“Get out,” Daniel whispered.

Harry took a step forward and Daniel cowered at his approach. “Daniel, come on, I’m still -”

“Get out!”

Daniel’s face was red with fury, and he was trembling violently. Harry didn’t want to leave, he really didn’t, but he could see that Daniel wouldn’t let Harry near him.

“I’ll owl you,” Harry said.

Daniel stilled and brought his watery eyes up to Harry’s. Harry felt pain lance through his heart. He had only known the man a week, but it was so horrible to see him in distress.

“Don’t bother.”

> ~ ~ ~
> 
>   
>  _Dear Daniel,_
> 
>  _I’m so sorry about what happened. Please understand that I didn’t intend to deceive you. Being who I am, I can’t just go out and meet men like everyone else. If I can at least see you, I can explain this to you properly._
> 
>  _Please owl me._
> 
>  _Harry._
> 
>  __
> 
> ~ ~ ~
> 
> Dear Daniel,
> 
> We had such a great time together. Don’t let my name get in the way of that. I really don’t care about the Malfoy connection, if that’s what you’re worried about. I just want to see you again.
> 
> Harry.
> 
> ~ ~ ~
> 
>   
> Dear Daniel,
> 
> This is getting ridiculous. I’ve gathered, from your lack of response, that you don’t want to see me. But I just can’t get you out of my head. Your hair, your eyes, your lips, your enthusiasm about life and the way you make me feel so comfortable. That kiss was probably the best moment of my life. But I’m going to have to accept that I’m not what you want. I’m sorry if I’ve inconvenienced you with all the owls.
> 
> I just want you to know how special you are. I won’t contact you again.
> 
> All my love,  
>  Harry
> 
> ~ ~ ~
> 
> Dear Harry,
> 
> Come to my flat tonight at 7 o’clock. We’ll talk.
> 
> Daniel.
> 
> ~ ~ ~
> 
>   
> 

Harry Apparated into Daniel’s kitchen, his heart beating furiously. He hoped to Merlin that this wasn’t a set up. It would be just his luck to find Rita Skeeter smiling in that horrid, predatory way, gleefully reading Harry’s desperate letters. Harry was prepared for it.

But he wasn’t prepared for Draco Malfoy.

Draco sat at the kitchen table, nursing a glass of Firewhiskey. His head whipped up when Harry appeared, and Harry’s hand instinctively reached toward his wand.

“Sit down, Potter.”

Harry felt confusion and anxiety mingle in his heart. “Why are you here, Malfoy? Did Daniel send you to do his dirty work for him?”

Tired grey eyes stared at Harry. Draco looked quite different from how Harry remembered. He had grown into his face, and it was no longer overly pointy. His hair was slightly longer than it used to be, and the platinum blond no longer looked so severe. The overall effect was quite handsome, but Draco looked drained.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Just sit.”

Harry moved over to the table reluctantly. He sat down, hand still on his wand. Draco conjured an empty glass and poured Firewhiskey into it. He pushed it towards Harry.

“You’re going to need this.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed. “Where’s Daniel? Is something wrong with him?”

“No, he’s… why do you never just get these things, Potter?” Draco sighed and closed his eyes. “He’s me. Or I’m him.”

“What?”

“I’m Daniel.”

Malfoy’s eyes were closed and his face looked tight and worried.

“What?” whispered Harry again. His brain just wouldn’t compute what he was being told.

“You’re not the only one who needs to disguise himself to get a date.”

Harry shook his head in disbelief. “No.”

Draco nodded. “Yes, unfortunately. Leave if you want, but please don’t tell anyone.”

Malfoy looked so downtrodden that Harry almost felt sorry for him. He told himself he should leave, that it was obvious Malfoy wouldn’t want him, but a niggling thought at the back of his mind stopped him moving.

“You – you had a crush on me?”

“Well, of course I liked Trevor. I kissed him, didn’t I?”

“No, not then. Daniel said – no, _you_ said - that your ‘cousin’ had a crush on me when you were young. Is that true?”

Malfoy paused and took a large gulp from his glass.

“Yeah. I didn’t lie about anything, except for the Beauxbatons part. And my name. And the cousin, obviously.”

Harry sat in silence for a second.

“All the rest is true? The cooking and the tutoring Muggle-borns and stuff?”

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?”

Harry sighed and rubbed wearily at his eyes. “What are we going to do about this, Mal - Draco?”

“Is there even a question? You can’t go out with me, even if you wanted to. A Potter and a Malfoy. How ridiculous.”

Harry’s head pounded. He could see some truth in what Draco was saying, but really… Draco was Daniel. Or Daniel was Draco. Either way, he had developed feelings for the man.

“Would you still want me if I was Trevor?” asked Harry.

Draco snorted. “Well, yeah. Trevor was my perfect guy, except for the name. What was with that, anyway? Wasn’t that Longbottom’s toad?”

Harry tried to suppress a chuckle. “Yep. He’s the one who got me into this in the first place.”

“Figures.”

Harry smiled despite himself.

“Draco – maybe we should start again. You know, go out or something. As Harry and Draco this time.”

Draco’s eyes rested on Harry’s, searching.

“ _You_ – Harry Potter – you want to go on a date with Draco Malfoy?”

Harry grimaced. “I’m not Harry Potter – everyone thinks they know me, but they don’t. I’m just Harry. And yeah, Harry seems to want to go on a date with Draco Malfoy. Because, you see, he was starting to really fall for you.”

Draco bit his lip. “For Daniel, you mean. Not Draco Malfoy.”

“No,” said Harry. “Daniel’s just a part of you. I already knew there was something else there, right back in school. I want to give us a chance, if you do.”

Draco slowly reached slender fingers out to close over Harry’s. The touch wasn’t gentle, it was desperate and grasping and Harry let Draco squeeze his hand until it almost hurt.

“Harry?”

Harry tore his eyes away from where their hands were joined and met Draco’s piercing gaze. “Yeah?”

“Are you free tonight?”

~ ~ ~

  
****  
Three Years Later  


“Oof!” Draco doubled over in pain as Teddy elbowed him in the stomach.

“Teddy! Say sorry to Draco. Football is _not_ a contact sport.”

Teddy ignored Harry and continued to dribble the ball to the tree that had been designated as a crude goalpost.

“Goal!” the boy shouted, raising his arms in the air and running excitedly back towards Harry and a slowly recovering Draco. Teddy’s hair had turned bright pink with the excitement, clashing horribly with his Slytherin tie. Harry knew that, as always, his resolve would go down the drain and he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to scold Teddy properly.

“Come on, kiddo. Time to get you back to your Gran.”

“But I want to keep playing. I want to be the only kid at Hogwarts who can play football as well as Quidditch.”

Harry put Teddy down and took Draco’s hand instead. “Sorry, Teddy. Tea’ll be ready soon. Your Gran’s making shepherd’s pie.”

Teddy grinned. “My favourite!”

“I know,” said Harry. “You’d better go and get the ball, then we’ll be off home.”

As Teddy ran off in the direction of the tree, Draco’s arms wrapped around Harry’s waist. A warm breath ghosted over Harry’s ear and he smiled happily.

“Harry,” Draco said. “I know they can be little shits and all, but I really want one.”

Harry turned in Draco’s arms and frowned slightly at the look on Draco’s face.

“A child?”

“Yeah,” Draco said. “A family. Our family.”

Harry blinked in disbelief at the longing in Draco’s eyes. He couldn’t help but smile as the reality of Draco’s suggestion hit home.

“A family,” Harry repeated. “Yes.”

Draco smiled at Harry.

“And you know what we’ll call our first son?”

“What?” Harry asked suspiciously, noticing Draco’s mouth twitch up at the corners.

“How about Daniel Trevor Malfoy-Potter? It kind of has a ring to it.”

Harry threw his head back and laughed as Teddy arrived, huffing and puffing hard and carrying the football. Harry reached out a hand to ruffle his hair.

As they began walking back towards Andromeda’s cottage, Draco leaned into Harry’s ear and whispered again.

“Our family.”

 


End file.
